Box-toe form



A. 1. RYAN.

BOX TOE FORM.

APPLICAIION FILED JAN- 9, I920- Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

A TTU/P/Vf rs.

ALBERT J. RYAN OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BOX-TOE roam.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Original application filed March 24, 1919, Serial No. 284,701. Dividedand this application filed Jan- 1 nary 9, 1920. Serial No. 350,365.

Toall whom it may concern Be it known that I ALBERT J. RYAN, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in thecounty of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Box-Toe Forms, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

'My invention relates to 'dies, forms or lasts, to be employed in thepro-forming of box toe pieces for shoes, and is a division of payapplication Serial N 0. 284,701 filed r arch 24, 1919, on methods formanufacturing. shoes.

The toe last or form, which forms the subject matter of my invention isadapted to be used in the shaping of box toe pieces of the desiredmaterial prior to their incorporation into the shoe. Such toe pieces areordinarily impregnated with a material which may be made plastic andwill then harden.

I have found that among the requisites in the pre-formation or fixationof a box toe piece to be placed into a shoe as a subsequent step in shoemanufacturing processes, is a form or last over which the piece is to beformed, which is of different character from the shoe last on which thebox is to be assembled together with the upper.

While it is possible to em loy the shoe last itself in making molde boxtoes, I have found this very unsatisfactory, both from the point of viewof unnecessary wear on the shoe last, and from the point of view ofproviding a form which will pr duce a toe having clean lines and clearlydefined underfolds.

Among other features for the toe last, must be some sort of undercutting beneath the toe, which will provide a shoulder against which topress or draw the edges of the plastic toe iece thereby forming a cleanline at the un erfold, and bringing about a erfect sha ing of thepieceto the curves oft e last.

urthermore the forming of a channel be neath the upper surface of thetoe provides a means for forming a distinct depending shoulder from theunderfold of the box toe piece which is adapted for stitching to the ipof an insole.

It is thus my object to provide a toe form or last preferably of theprecise shape required for each last, and to provide in connection withit means in the nature of a channelunderlying the upper surface of thetoe form proper.

This object and other advantages to be noted I accon'lplish by thatcertain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter morespecifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the preferred forms of toe last.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a box prepared according to my inventionfor use with welt shoes.

vFig. 5 is a like view of a box for McKay shoes.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through the toe of a regular shoe lastwith the upper and box in place after being pulled over, showing also awelt.

Fig. 7 is a like view of the toe of a regular shoe last showing theupper, box and insole for McKay shoes.

As a preferred method of forming my article, I propose to employ themaster last of any desired shoe, for which my invention is to be used,and a last turning machine will be used to make box toe lasts ofidentical toeform to the last that is employed. This can be done bysecuring a piece of wood on the base of the toe of a master last, in thelast makingmachine and proceeding on a block of wood inserted in themachine, exactly as is done for the regular lasts, turning out one ormore toe lasts for each different shape or size of last furnished withany one order. The adding of the block of wood to the base of the toe ofthe master is for the purpose of bringing an extension down say threequarters of an inch from the lower edge of the regular shoe last toe.

The toe molds or lasts will be thereupon placed in a grooving machineand a chanme] out around the extended portion beneath the toe. 1

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the toe last 1 is thus provided, havingits upper toe portion. 2. in substantially the exact shape of the lastnumber and size, with which it is marked, according to usual lastpractice. Just at the under side of the toe, where the last for the shoewould find its sole portion or base, the channel 3 is cut in. Thebalance a of the extra wood on the base of the toe last will bepermitted to remain for facility in working, as will be noted.

It will be remembered that the molded box must be inserted between theupper lining and the outer portion of the upper, and thus that it willbe too small if it conforms exactly to the upper surface of the lastitself with which it is employed. Accordingly the toe last is made witha too portion 2 slightly larger than the regular last of its size andnumber. This extra size is particularly important at the under portionof the toe, so that the total thickness of the toe last is i greaterthan the toe of the ultimate shoe last by an amount equal to thethickness of the insole which it 1s proposed to use. This 1s because inthe making up of a shoe the box must extend over the last and edge orfeather of the insole, as well. 7

One way in which I provide for the oversize of the toe portions of mynew former, is to equip each toe last with a rubber cover in the shapeof the piece 5, which is held over the toe smoothly, by means of beingdrawn around and clamped tightly into the channel of the toe by means ofa spring 6. The spring is shaped to conform to the channel in the lastand may be easily forced into place in the toe mold channel.

Each toe mold rubber cover according to this modification willpreferably be provided with the number of the last and size in embossedletters thereon, as shown at G in Figs. 1 and 3. The letters will beimprinted in the under side of the box toe pieces molded over this last,and thus effectively mark the toes for use, so that they can be made inquantity and held until desired by the shoe manufacturer.

' I may also provide the box toe inolder with a marking stamp equippedwith changeable numbers and letters, and have him stamp in colored inkthe number on each box as he lifts it from the molding machine. In thiscase, the rubber cover for the last could be a piece kept at hand by themolder andclipped or tied into the channel in the toe mold, when workwas started thereon.

In either of the two latter instances the rubber serves not only toprotect the toe mold from being affected by steam,or chemicals used inthe softening of the box material, but it also slightly expands the sizeof the form or last so that it brings the molded toe to just the rightsize to fit outside of the lining over the last of the desired shoe.

The simplest method of accomplishing my purpose is to turn out the toelast itself to the desired size in the last machine which is readilypossible in the last making machine.

To properly arrange for the oversize at the under portions of the toethe position of the channel will have to be regulated.

The'molding operation or lasting operation for the box toe piece ispreferably done on the machine of my invention, a description of whichwill be found in Patent No. 1,356,017, granted Oct. 19, 1920, on my application Serial No. 102,981, filed June 10th, 1916, and in anotherapplication on improvements on said machine filed by me on June 30th,1919, Serial No. 307,670. In these machines, the box toe last is setbeneath a depressible foot, that not only presses down lirmly 011 theupper side of the too but has a means for enfolding the entire toe andpressing the sides of the box piece around under the toe of the last. Inconnection with the channel formed beneath the toe portion proper of thetoe last, this pressing machine forces the box toe piece into thechannel and against the inner wall thereof.

The boxtoe piece for welt shoes (Fig. 1) when pressed or molded overthis last has the shape 10 of the desired toe, and an incurving wall orshoulder 11. and downward bend or shoulder 12. Any excess of boxniatcrial beyond this shoulder 12 is cut away and the box is ready forinsertion over the last along with the upper of the shoe proper. Such alast is shown in section at 13 (Fig. 6) with the outer portion of theupper 1-1, and the inner portion of the upper 15. The box toe piece 10lies over the toe of the last outside of the lining and the shoulder 12and lining lie against the lip 10 of the insole 17. This shoulderspacing is brought about by the proper proportioning of the channel inthe box toe last.

For shoes, not welt, the box toe piece 20 is cut away so as to merelyleave the in 'wardly bending edge or shoulder 21 thereof.

The box is inserted as before, and the insole not having any lip, thereis no necessity for the box toe piece to have any corresponding lip oredge, as the shoulder lies on this insole.

In each instance it is important to employ a. box blank which softens byheat or otherwise, and hardens very rapidly, since the molding operationmore or less requires such quick action on the part of the box toepiece.

It should be noted that the provision of the underlying channel. is avery important point in connection with my invention herein. IVithoutsome such means, which, at its base and sides forms an element intowhich the box toe material can be drawn, it would not be practical toform up a structure having sharp, clean lines at the underfoldedportion, and it would be impossible to obtain an effective shoulder forattachment to welt or McKay shoes.

It is desirable that in the use of my toe last there be a 'de for sopositioning the said toe last that it will be centered under thestretching or other molding operation. Unless the last is accuratelycentered under the pressure, the material will not be evenly formed up,and wrinkles will occur.

To serve as a guide to the centering of the said toe last particularlywhere used with automatic machines, and to serve as a member to seat ona supportin post for the underside of the said last, I rnish a plate 25,which is screwed to the base of the toe last, and has a depression 26,formed on a vertical axial line with the true center of the uppersurface of the toe.

Instead of the plate, the material of the last itself could be bored outin a properly located depression or the like, but it is preferable thatthe plate, as shown, be rovided.

It is believed that further description of the process with which my toeis employed is not necessary, and that its advantages and mode of usehave been sufficiently pointed out above.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A toe last for molding box toes,comprising a wooden form cut with a toe, whose surface corresponds tothe toe of the shoe last in connection with which the molded box toe isto be employed, said toe of the toe last having a body portion with achannel therein directly underlying the said corresponding surface forthe purpose described.

2. A last or form to be employed for the pre-shaping of box toe iecesinto the shape of a shoe last over whic said toe piece is to besubsequently assembled, comprising a toe formed in the shape of the toeof said shoe last, and means underlying the upper surface of the toe, toprovide a channel into which operating parts may find a base and sidewalls, in the operation of drawing the edges of said toe piece undersaid toe portion.

3. A last or form to be employed for the pre-shaping of box toe piecesinto the shape of a shoe last over which said toe pieces are to besubsequently assembled, comprising a toe formed in the shape of the toeof said shoe last, and a centering means on the under side of the toeapproximately on the central axis of the upper surface thereof to serveas a uide in centering the upper surfact of sai toe beneath the pressureof the operations thereon.

4. A last or form to be employed for the pro-shaping of box toe piecesinto the shape of a shoe last over which said toe pieces are to besubsequently assembled, comprising a toe formed in the shape of the toeof said shoe last, and a centering means on the under side of the toe toserve as a uide in centering the upper surface of sai toe beneath thepressure of the operations thereon, said means comprisin a metal platesecured to said under side of the toe on the central axis of the uppersurface of said toe.

5. A. last or toe form comprising a body portion, a toe portion cut atone end of said body portion, a portion underl ing the toe portionproper, same having a c annel form space between it and the toe portionproper and a centering plate on the under side of said underlyingportion having an indicated point thereon which lies in the central,vertical. axis of the toe portion proper.

ALBERT J. RYAN.

